This invention relates to the field of mobile robots and more particularly to portable control devices with communication and control electronics for networked mobile platforms.
Due to potentially prohibitive costs of robots with their associated sensors and electronics, it is desirable to produce lower cost robots for use in quantity. Interest in the use of multiple robots is growing due to recent technical and cost advances in microelectronics and sensors. These advances include small, low power CCD cameras; small microprocessors with expanded capabilities; autonomous navigation systems using global positioning systems; and several types of small sensors.
The use of multiple robots is particularly applicable in reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition, force protection and physical security, locating and identifying hazardous targets, and in other applications which potentially remove humans from tedious or potentially hazardous activities. The coordination of multiple autonomous robots can be effective and efficient in the above applications through information sharing and the formation of distributed communication networks. Multiple robots controlled to cooperatively achieve an objective have the potential to be more effective than a collection of independent robots.
Two example applications are disbursing autonomous robotic vehicles throughout an area (for example, through corridors in a building) using networked communications in surveillance activities, or in locating and tracking an intruder such as an evader or trespasser. Another example is in chemical applications where autonomous robotic vehicles can be used to locate a source, including, for example: chemical, temperature, explosive, radiation, and light sources, which can be time dependent, or can take the form of a plume formed from steam, humidity, or other measurable characteristic. Each robotic vehicle with on-board sensors needs to be inexpensive in order to utilize multiple robots in quantity in cooperating applications.
Mobile Robots
Different mobile robot platforms exist, spanning a wide range of costs and capabilities, from robots with electronic packages for specialized operations to inexpensive remote control cars and robots for educational applications. Remote control toys generally are operated as single units, communicating with a base control device, and do not use controllers capable of controlling and communicating among large numbers of robots. One example is LEGO MindStorms(trademark) Robotics Invention System. See LEGO(copyright) product information, LEGO MindStorms(trademark) Robotics Invention System, April 2001, retrieved from the Internet.
Remote control toy cars such as those manufactured by toymakers are inexpensive (for example, in the ballpark range of $30 to $100) remotely driven vehicles with radio controlled joysticks, but they are not designed for autonomous navigation and cannot communicate and geolocate with respect to each other. Examples are those remote control cars manufactured by Tyco of Mattel, Inc. and other remote control toy car manufacturers.
At the other extreme are expensive robotic vehicles (for example, costing several thousand dollars). For example, robotic vehicles available from Real World Incorporated (RWI) are capable of remote control via a joystick and also capable of being programmed to perform autonomous navigation. The Koala robot available from K-Team is a six-wheeled mid-sized robot capable of communication, sensing, and all-terrain operation. These are highly capable robotic vehicles but can be cost prohibitive in applications requiring numerous autonomous vehicles. K-Team does not disclose a conversion kit for converting a remote control car to an autonomous robotic vehicle and does not disclose a handheld control device utilizing commercially available personal computing devices. See K-Team, xe2x80x9cKoala familyxe2x80x9d features, modules and specifications, April 2001, retrieved from the Internet.
iRobot""s swarm xe2x80x9crobots in a glass boxxe2x80x9d utilize a multi-robot operating system and communicate with their neighbors using infrared light. iRobot does not disclose a hybrid mobile platform from conversion of a radio-controlled car to a mobile robot and does not disclose a handheld control device utilizing inexpensive and commercially available personal computing devices. See, iRobot, xe2x80x9cSwarm: Distributed programming of autonomous robots,xe2x80x9d April 2001, retrieved from the Internet.
Lynxmotion""s Carpet Rover II Explorer educational robot has proximity and tracking sensors and a programmable microcontroller but does not have a transceiver suitable for communicating with other robots in a swarm or with a base station. Lynxmotion does not disclose a conversion kit for converting a remote control car to an autonomous robotic vehicle and does not disclose a handheld control device utilizing a commercially available personal computing device. See Lynxmotion, xe2x80x9cCarpet Rover II Explorer Robot Kit,xe2x80x9d April 2001, retrieved from the Internet.
Carnegie Mellon""s Palm Pilot Robot uses a commercially available personal data organizer to control the robot. Carnegie Mellon discloses a robot with three wheels in a triangular orientation, allowing holonomic motion control, with control executing on a Palm Device. Carnegie Mellon does not disclose a conversion kit for converting a remote control car to an autonomous robotic vehicle and does not disclose a remotely used handheld control device utilizing a commercially available personal computing device. See Carnegie Mellon, xe2x80x9cPalm Pilot Robot Kitxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cPPRK: Overview,xe2x80x9d April 2001, retrieved from the Internet. Hoyt, xe2x80x9cA Radio-Controlled Car and a 68HC11 Microproccessor,xe2x80x9d Circuit Cellular INK(copyright), issue #78, pp. 20-25, January 1997, discloses the addition of a microprocessor to a radio-controlled car. Hoyt teaches a single car capable of recording and then retracing its path. Hoyt does not teach conversion of a radio-controlled car to a mobile robot capable of communicating and cooperating with other radio-controlled cars or autonomous robotic vehicles.
Lewis et al. discloses the use of a squad of all terrain RATLER(trademark) (roving all terrain lunar explorer rovers) vehicles, like those developed at Sandia National Laboratories, for remote cooperative control and sensing in outdoor perimeter detection applications. See Lewis et al., xe2x80x9cCooperative Control of a Squad of Mobile Vehicles,xe2x80x9d IASTED International Conference on Control and Applications, Honolulu, Hi., Aug. 12-14, 1998. RATLER(trademark) platforms are highly capable but could be cost prohibitive when used in large quantity. Lewis et al. does not disclose a hybrid mobile platform or teach conversion of a mobile platform to an autonomous platform.
Costs can be prohibitive whenever large numbers of robots are needed in search applications. There is a need for a handheld control device that can initiate task execution and coordinate the motion of multiple autonomous robots.
The present invention provides a handheld control device for controlling one or more mobile robots, comprising a handheld computer and a radio board. The radio board comprises a communication device interfacing with a robot communication device and a microprocessor interfacing with the handheld computer.
The present invention provides a base station controller for interfacing to a handheld computer to control a plurality of mobile robots according to a control input. The handheld computer comprises a user interface for accepting a control input and a port capable of transmitting the control input. The base station controller comprises an interface to the port, a microprocessor capable of communication with the handheld computer, and a communication device capable of communication with each mobile robot.
The present invention teaches a method of controlling one or more mobile robotic vehicles using a handheld control device.